1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a food and drink serving tray, which rests on the forearm while in use, and which can be placed on a table if one wants to sit down. The plate also provides a pivot point around which weight can be shifted due to eating and drinking, while standing. A continuous tight grip of the plate is not required while standing and eating thus eliminating fatigue.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Several types of food serving plates or trays are known. One of the prior food serving trays is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,672. The patent discloses a food serving tray which rests on the forearm of the user and holds a cup in a cup retainer. The cup retainer, with cup, is held tight while resting the plate on the forearm. The plate, with the cup in the retainer, cannot be placed on a table as it would be off-balance. Additionally, the cup has to be held tightly continuously if one chooses to stand and eat. It is obvious that the latter is required, since the plate, with a cup in the cup retainer, cannot be placed on a table or temporarily set down. Another plate is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,144. The patent discloses a serving tray with a circular basin for a drink as well as a thumb hole for carrying the tray. The thumb is placed through an opening and, according to FIG. 2, the bottom of the thumb rests on a corrugated surface. The remaining fingers support the bottom of the plate. The described usage is impractical, if not impossible. When the bottom of the plate is being supported by the fingers it is physically impossible to have the bottom of the thumb on the corrugated lip on top of the plate. Instead, the side of the thumb, next to the index finger, ends up supporting the weight from the top. Consequently, there is no way to adequately compensate for weight shifts by a fork pushing down on the plate. In this case, as the latter, the thumb and other indexes must hold the plate tightly for the entire duration of use. This causes fatigue and discomfort. Neither situation is a comfortable fit where one would be apt to not feel compelled to put the plate down as soon as one was finished eating.